The mercury is expected to hit a scorching 34c on the Isle of Wight tomorrow (Thursday), according to Island Echo’s official weather forecasters IW Met Service.
Temperatures are predicted to be higher than forecast earlier in the week, leading to an orange heat warning being issued this evening.
Many parts of the Island are likely to exceed 30c with a few locations reaching up to 34c – especially around central parts of the Island such as Newport. Coastal locations will be much cooler, however.
National forecasters say that elsewhere in the country the temperature may reach an all-time UK high of 39c.
This week’s hot temperatures have prompted the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) in the South East to issue a reminder to the public about taking extra care in the countryside due to the increased fire risk.
Wildfires have the capability to devastate farmland, wildlife and also pose a risk to the lives of people living and working in rural and adjacent communities. They can be prevented by not discarding cigarettes or other smoldering material. The same can be said for litter as quite often bottles and shards of glass can spark a fire.
In an effort to reduce the number and severity of wildfires, partnership members of the South East England Wildfire Group have issued advice to the public:
What to do:
- Do not try and tackle the fire yourself.
- Call 999 and request the fire service.
- Give an accurate location of the fire e.g. Name of the nearest road, access points, visible landmarks (pubs, farms, power lines etc), locally known names, and map grid references.
- Move to a safe area and contact the local land manager if possible.
- If the fire is in a remote area, meet emergency services at the access point so that you can guide them to the location.
What not to do:
- Don’t discard cigarettes.
- Don’t have BBQs in unauthorised areas.
- Never leave a BBQ unattended.
- Don’t discard rubbish – particularly reflective materials.
- Don’t burn off garden rubbish during hot periods or if you live close to woodland.
- Don’t have bonfires on hot days or during prolonged periods of dry weather.
